Chapter 25: Discussion

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So, im guessing 'Harem' is a no no word... even though it's a tag...

Sigh

So, I will respond to what those comments that had been deleted asked, as well as something many others have asked as well: Will this be JAHI'S Harem or KAT'S Harem?

The answer is simple, at least to me. It is, on paper, Jahi's Harem; she is the next head of the Asmodia House, and is of more importance.

While these two characters being introduced will be important, they marry INTO Jahi's family. However, as you have noticed, Jahi is in love with Kat and vice versa; so if a character ends up pissing off one or the other, it will be dealt with by both.

As such, unofficially, it is BOTH of them who have the Harem; they are the nucleus of the relationship.

Additionally, I understand that some dislike Harem; I do as well, however I have always been fine reading about what I have called Harem Lite, which is just adding one or two more people into the mix. It's not only manageable but also allows for those characters to be more than just a walking trophy for the mc.

On top of that, whenever I create something like this, I prefer to write with realistic interactions in mind, as well as realistic everything else; in the sense that, due to Jahi's rank and her status as a Light Magician, she will be VERY important to the Empire: to the degree that she would need to be tied directly to either the Empire or someone else who is important.

So, that's where the two characters come in: they are, socially, very important. Both are daughters of a Countries leader. However, as I said previously, they are marrying INTO Jahi's Family: they would take the Asmodia name. There will be no need to worry that these characters would have more power than Jahi.

Also, my other reasoning for Harem is quite simple: I have kinks in mind for specific characters, and it was already heavily implied what both Kat and Jahi would be like; adding more characters allow me to change things slightly, bringing out sides in characters that you normally wouldn't see. Also, I just want more excuses to write lemons...

Hopefully that answers most questions that people have regarding the 'Harem' element of this story, as well as who has what and so on. (Dang that was long, like 400 words long...)

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"Both the child of Lorelei and the child of Kio are potential partners for Jahi..."

At that, I froze, while I could see Jahi also freeze. The Countess sighed, the sweet smell of ozone disappearing.

"So her Light Magic is making the Empress wish to tie her down, huh?"

Looking at the Countess, the Marquess sighed as well, before nodding.

Jahi stood up, growling "I WILL NOT marry another. Kat is all I need!"

Gritting her teeth, the Marquess looked down at her daughter, before sighing again,

"Jahi... Even with all those books crammed in your head, you don't get this? It isn't something you can turn down. You NEED to marry someone important. If you had awakened a combination magic like Ria, we could get away with elevating Julie and Kat to Barons, allowing you to take her as your wife and never worry about taking another. However, Light Magic is a different thing altogether. I only know two other people with magic like you: Joana D'Arcon with Light, and Ye Wan of the Tian Dynasty with his Dark Magic. You are one of THREE people currently alive with that kind of magic; of course the Empress is going to want to tie you down to our Empire."

Scoffing, Jahi tried to grab me from the Countess, but she simply lifted me to her shoulders, away from Jahi's grasp. Sighing, the Countess said "As much as I hate it, and I know you hate it, it's true. The most you can do know is hope and pray that one of these girls piques your interest."

Growling again, Jahi glared at the Countess. "I will not be interested in another."

I was shaking slightly, but knew that this would happen eventually. When I heard that if Jahi had lesser magic, it could have been just us, I grit my teeth. However, eventually, I calmed down. I had said that this might happen, but to actually hear that it is unavoidable, especially with how vehemently Jahi is against it, makes it a hard pill to swallow.

Tapping the Countess' arm, I gave her a small smile when she looked up at me. Lowering me to the ground, I quickly hugged Jahi from behind. She had turned back towards the Marquess, looking to argue some more.

Feeling my embrace, she stiffened. Resting my head on her shoulder, I said "It's fine, Jahi. As long as you promise to always have me at your side, I'm fine allowing another girl to join us. After all, I can stand on your right while she stands on your left!"

Giving a weak smile to that, Jahi turned around and held me close. The Marquess also had a small smile, though the sad glint in her eyes shows that she wasn't entirely pleased by this turn of events either.

"I promise... now and forever, I will always love you... forever..."

Hearing her hoarse whisper, I stroked the back of her head slowly. Feeling her calm down, I gently moved towards the couch, sitting next to her.

Looking towards the Marquess, I asked "What are they like?"

Giving me a wry smile, she shrugged. "All I know of Lorelei's kid is that she's shy, likes books, and rarely speaks. Her name is Leone Presa-Ash. As for Kio's kid... well, if she's anything like her two parents, she should be a boisterous, energetic fur ball. Her name is Anput Sera."

Sighing, I continued to stroke Jahi's hair, hoping to keep her calm.

"Are they the main two potential partners for Jahi then?"

The Countess chuckled dryly, saying "No, there would be more. You two are part of a strong generation. The Duchess up north has a daughter who will be going to the academy the same year as you. Additionally, there are the Twin Princess's of the Felian Kingdom on the Empire's western border. Many other important people are in that list of potential partners. Hell, we might even see some envoys from the Tian Dynasty and other far away Countries, hoping to bribe you to defect over to them. However, those two are the ones that have the most sway; one is the only princess of our Empire your age, while the other is begum of the Sultanate that shares our border. The people that matter know that Jahi is just like her mother, so they are sending women instead of men. Thank the gods for that; the last thing I want to deal with are those annoying pests." (AN: Begum is a title for important women in Southern Asia, which includes parts of the Middle East. Since it's a sultanate and all, I did some, albeit brief, research and liked the sound of this compared to others, as well as that it is still used to denote a woman's single status today. Though correct me if I'm wrong.)

Chuckling at the last part, I fell silent, thinking. Hopefully Jahi can come to love either the Princess or Begum, as these two would have the best chances of making Jahi only need to take in one or two women; the other options could easily result in Jahi being forced to take more wives just to guarantee her loyalty.

Seeing my serious face, Jahi squeezed my hand, before sighing. "I... I guess we shall see, then. If Kat is fine with one of them, then..."

I squeezed back, giving her a small smile. Hearing that made me feel better. Hopefully... just maybe one of them will be someone we can both love.

Remembering the history from my previous world, harems never truly worked, as the man who had the Harem ended up either never giving enough to his current women or simply added more just for the sake of it. I didn't want to always have to watch my back, hoping the tea I was drinking wasn't poisoned simply because Jahi showed me affection.

However, considering that shouldn't be too much of a problem since it seems Jahi's desires are much higher, and her body is much stronger, the 'satisfaction' of her women should always be fine.

Though if she shows blatant favoritism...

Sighing again, I looked towards the Marquess, asking "When are they coming here? For how long?"

She smiled at me, before saying "They will be here in a weeks time, and will be staying for a few days. More than likely, they will be here for a week. So, from now until they leave, all classes except for Baroness Estra's are cancelled. You both will be learning etiquette and more to guarantee you don't make a fool of yourselves."

I nodded at that, before looking over at the Countess, who said "Alright, Jahi, you are coming with us for today: we need to go get you more clothes. And no, Kat isn't coming with us. She needs to stay and talk with Julie about some things."

At that, Jahi glared at the Countess before turning her gaze to me after I squeezed her hand. Embracing her, I walked over to my mother who had been quiet the entire time. Seeing me, she smiled, pulling me onto her lap. Ruffling my ears, I gave Jahi a smile, watching as she left the room with both the Marquess and Countess.

Looking up at my mother, I asked "What do we need to talk about?"

Sighing, my mother closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

"You see, the reason that I... dislike Kio Sera is simple: the Zara and Sera packs have always disliked each other. Yes, we aren't just some random people, Katherine. I used to be... Well, I was something like the Princess of the Zara pack. I was next in line to lead, to take over as Chieftess. Ah... I should probably explain what a pack is, huh?"

At that I shook my head, a small smile on my lips. She was just like me, all over the place when she needs to explain something important.

"You see, a group of beastkin is called many things. Canine beastkin, like dogkin, wolfkin, and so on, are called packs. In particular, the Zara Pack used to rule the northern tip of the Asmodia lands; we had an agreement with them that we would send soldiers and aid in time of need, as long as they allowed us to keep our lands and power. The Sera Pack ruled a land near us, a small swathe of land between March Asmodia and the Sultanate. As such, we used to have minor skirmishes with each other, but it wasn't uncommon for us to help each other in times of need. It was a love hate relationship."

Taking a breath, her gaze turned grim.

"Kio was the next in line to lead the Sera Pack, and since both of us were of the same age... well, we were often compared. We had similar strengths, so we were usually evenly matched. Our rivalry was heated, but we had a mutual respect for each other."

Sighing, she looked down at me, a sad smile on her face.

"We went to the academy together, and somehow ended up as dorm mates. So, we started treating school like a competition. However, eventually, our rivalry took a turn... one night, someone slipped an aphrodisiac into Kio's food. Thankfully, it was slow acting, but that night she forced herself on me. We were both women, so nothing came of it, but as you can imagine, that event made things worse between us.

After graduating, we went our separate ways. She ventured into the Sultanate, while I went home, becoming an adventurer. For a few years, I lived my life freely, adventuring with a small party. However, one day, I received news that my father was killed, and that a baron had kidnapped the women of the village. I went back to our village, only to find it in ruins. It wasn't just my father who was dead; most of the people in the village were dead. The reasoning was stupid; that baron wanted to marry me and force the Pack to become his personal army. After all, Beastkin are strong, and I had attended the academy. However, he had left mercenaries in the village; they chased me for months. With no where to go, no one I thought I could rely on, I made my way to the Sera Pack, hoping to seek asylum. However... Kio turned me away. Her own Pack had suffered in recent times, so she didn't want to risk anymore harm against her people. I understand that... I do. However, it was when I was at their village that I learned something. I was with child."

At that, I gaped at her. My mother managed to escape the pursuit of multiple mercenaries... all while she was in the early stages of pregnancy? And I made it? Nothing happened to me during that?

Poking my nose, she smiled at me.

"I learned that because I had started feeling nauseous all the time, as well as other... physical signs. Even when I pleaded, telling Kio that I was pregnant, she still turned me away. However, she did point me towards something, and even to this day, albeit begrudgingly, I am thankful for her."

"She reminded me that, while I had been in the Academy, two women had always shown interest in me. I had been friends with them in the Academy, so maybe... just maybe, they would shelter me. After all, they were of much higher status than the Baron."

Smiling down at me, she continued to pet my head, before looking towards the wall, where the Marquess' portrait was hung. Her gaze turned gentle, and I could see the love in her smile.

"Chordeva and Ria... both of them, they accepted me, even when they knew I was pregnant. They took me in, even though Ria had just given birth. I demanded that, if this were to work, that I sign a contract with them. To guarantee that I would always be safe; that you would always be safe."

Sighing, she kissed my forehead before getting up.

"That's enough for today. Maybe I'll tell you more when you get older."

Standing up, I hugged her leg. Looking up at her, I smiled, saying "I love you, mother~"

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Alright, another authors note...

So, that's (Kinda) Julies story. Like she said, I will get into detail later about her life.

The main point of this author note though is this:

I want you all to give an unofficial review since we are at chapter 25. I plan on doing another at chapter 50. Put them into the comments, and tell me what you think I do well, what I need to improve on, and so on. Again, just make them a comment if you do it. I would rather you save your actual review for later when the novel is further along.

Agina, just let me know what you think I do well, where I can improve, what you like or dislike, if the story is easily understood, and so on. Considering my eventual goal with both this and 'A Kunoichi's Tale' is to eventually start a Patreon and be able to do this as a job instead of Amazon, I want to improve more as a writer, and that's where you all come in. So please, leave a comment telling me what you think.

Thank you all a whole bunch, seriously! When I started this I did it as a whim, and treated it as such. Now, though, I see so many people actually being invested, both in this and in my fanfic. Obviously, I need to devote more time to writing, but seriously, you all make it so worth it!

Enjoy~

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